Echo
Echo is an entity in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe who takes the form of an anthropomorphic black barn owl and is known to be one of the most sinister and dangerous beings in the universe. Appearance The creature known as Echo most commonly appears as a black barn owl with a pale face and stomach. His eyes are pure black, often appearing to those who peer into them as a never-ending abyss of terror and simultaneous solace. He possesses a muscular upper body and wears gray gloves that accentuate his razor-sharp fingertips, connected to his arms by thin cuffs. He wears knee-high layered black boots that are tipped with sharpened points. On his back are intricate designs in the shape of his feathers and a spiky tail. Personality Echo is an enigmatic character, consistently remaining a total mystery to those around him. He exudes an air of sheer confidence and a dominating presence that can often seem overwhelming to more passive individuals, especially when coupled with the air of uncertainty around him. One specifically iconic trait of his is the powerful gaze he is able to set upon those around him, setting the tone for a situation, enrapturing an audience, or intimidating a foe--all without saying a word. Intellectually, Echo is an adroit critical thinker and clever wordsmith, using his powerful demeanor and natural charisma to charm and sway friends and enemies alike to his will. His aptitude in strategy and tactics is virtually unmatched, as he demonstrates the ability to constantly think multiple steps ahead of his opponent(s) in order to anticipate and preemptively strike or respond to any potential threats sent his way. This trait is not always healthy for his state of mind, as he has become inwardly paranoid and unable to trust another as a result. Emotionally speaking, Echo views most expressions of feelings as social norms that bear no true meaning to an individual, which is the primary reason he remains distant from the rest of the world. This in turn has likely caused him to become a sociopath, as he places little-to-no value in relationships and does not hesitate to remove anyone from his path for the sake of his ruthless ambitions. History There are no formally documented records of the origin of Echo, but rumors suggest that he was raised in a small satellite village that laid in relative seclusion from the more congested parts of the world. Legend says that he and two other children from his homeland were abducted by an underground research team as part of an attempt by a terrorist group to harness the hidden potential in youths and remove their inhibitions, essentially creating the perfect soldiers. The trio were subjected to tests that pushed their physical limitations and mental fortitude to the limits, being rewarded in the night hours with gruesome torture. Strapped down, they were experimented on and agonized from dusk until dawn, being kept alive through scientific processing as opposed to sleep and nourishment. What exactly occurred throughout the entirety of their bondage is unclear, but as result Echo no longer responds to the sensations of pain, hunger, and tiredness. He feels them just as anyone else does, but is not alarmed or remotely affected by these pangs. After days of repeated torture to the brink of death and subsequent healing, the bodies of the three children finally collapsed from the exhaustive strain and shutdown. Despite nothing being absolute, it has been stated by his peers that the mind of Echo refused to collapse, holding onto his cognition and effectively reanimating himself on sheer willpower and his now heavily augmented abilities, unlocked through his waltz with death itself. Using his awe-inspiring power, he slaughtered those overseeing him and aided his fellow captives in their own revival and escape, annihilating the entire base on their way out. Since that day, the three super-powered survivors have evaded any appearances in the media or contemporary society, but according to a small group of witnesses, a powerful and secretive occultist group now follows the every command of a supposed "pale-faced god". Plot Abilities Physical Abilities and Combat Skills Regarding physical capabilities, Echo draws heavily on his heightened predator instincts in order to display feats of insurmountable reflexes and the refined precision of a natural hunter. He primarily strikes with his razor-sharp finger and boot-tips, mixing techniques he learned through training with his born killer instinct to swiftly deliver mortal blows to his enemies. Frequently, he is shown to use his gloves and boots to directly parry attacks from lethal melee weapons with ease. have been On foot he is faster than average at top speeds, but his agility and explosiveness are every bit extraordinary. As a Barn Owl, he possesses limited flight capabilities in the form of levitation, an ability he uses to augment his running in order to attain ridiculous momentum and the capacity to immediately stop and change direction at even top velocities. Echo was born with considerable strength, but after his rigorous ordeal in captivity, has ascended this to reach a level that is of noticeable enhancement. He can flip bus-sized vehicles with a single hand and throw a creature ten times his size like a rag doll. His grip is considered to be vice-like, reflecting the power with which a predatory bird kills its prey. Thanks to his lightning-fast reflexes and explosiveness exponentially adding to the destructive force of his strikes, his claws are capable of shredding apart solid metal objects like a knife to butter. As a result of the horrific events he survived and supernatural recovery, Echo possesses remarkable endurance and stamina, able to withstand the pain associated with virtually all body damage and attain near indestructibility through physical blows alone. It is implied that he is less resilient to more mystical forms of attack or those in the possession of super strength. His willpower has kept the cells in his body airtight and resistant to change as a twisted form of a defense mechanism, making him surprisingly defensible from the typical damage faced in situations such as drops from extreme elevation, electrocution, and burning. Through the integration of his agility, reflexes, durability, instinct, and levitation, Echo has shown himself to be a skilled acrobat, proficiently leaping through indoor corridors and outdoor geographic ranges with grace and style. He utilizes this aspect of himself in combat in order to evade enemy attacks and maintain his destructive potential at various angles and positions. Not much is known of this ability, but it is strongly hinted that Echo has access to some form of shape shifting, and it is of supernatural nature. Likely due to his hidden potential being drawn out through insidious physical, mental, emotional, and psychological preparation, Echo is believed to possess a form of immortality. Mental Manipulation Through a mix of natural ability and the mysterious events that took place whilst he was in bondage, Echo is able to effectively modify the thoughts of others, control their mindsets, and ultimately bend their upper brain functions to his will. By utilizing this properly, he can actively render victims unconscious, suppress memories, negate the abilities of another, fluctuate mental capacity, forcible make minds agreeable, sway sensations in order to effectively induce altered perception, create mental disorders, and tear down mental shields. Low effort usage of this ability allows Echo to launch psi-bolts in order to inflict mental damage(psionic inundation), directly induce pain or sleep, telepathic relay and thought manifestation, telepathic binding, distort and alter the emotions or mental state of others, read minds or project his thoughts to others, augment or negate abilities, faculty diminution, induce confusion or force one to speak the truth, logorrhia, and the inability to speak, misdirection, the alteration of motor controls, omnilingualism, and various similar psychic feats. Intermediate level mental manipulation affords Echo with the means to control minds, manipulate addictions, memories and the subconscious, heal mental wounds, mind imprisonment and psychic sealing, psychic shadows and shields, mind walking, and mind link production. As a true master of the mind, Echo has access to highly advanced techniques and powers, such as: brainwashing, mental assimilation, the imprinting of primal instincts, psychic bestowal of knowledge capacity, personality alteration, mindscape transportation, neurocognitive deficit, powerful illusions capable of causing mortal wounds (psychosomatic illusion), telepathic pushing, consciousness transferal, mind melding, telepathic language instruction, clairvoyance, and telepathic mimicry. Echo is limited in the sense that his abilities only work on the living or recently deceased, which does not include robots or artificial intelligence. Although he does not require physical contact with his subjects, proximity to the individual strengthens the mental connection he is able to produce significantly. Those with higher will power or psychic shields are tougher to manipulate and require more time, effort, and often times physical contact. In addition, the more individuals that Echo controls at once, the more strain it places onto his own mind, potentially exhausting him. This is especially true when he attempts to assimilate another being, as permanent assimilation could prove fatal in his standard form. Finally, when reading minds, he is unable to automatically predict certain impulsive actions. Techniques and Moves Transformations Relationships Quotes Trivia *Similar to the author, Echo is left-handed. *The Barn Owl has been my favorite animal since I read the Guardians of Ga'Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky as a child. Parts of his story segment are inspired by these written works, particularly drawing from the group known as the Pure Ones. Category:Males Category:Owls